1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stent including indentations having either bioactive agents and/or penetrating structures and/or agents therein or thereon where the indentations protect the agents or structures during stent positioning and where the agents or structures are brought into close proximity to or in contact with a vessel's interior or tissue during stent deployment.
More particularly, this invention relates to a corrugated stent having recessed regions containing bioactive or penetration agents or structures and non-recessed regions, where the agents are protected in the recessed regions. Preferably, the stent undergo a volumeric expansion after deployment, that brings the bioactive or penetration agents or structures into close proximity to or direct contact with a a vessel's interior or tissue during deployment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Stents are a valuable medical device designed to maintain pathway of a vessel or maintain or create a tissue cavity in an animal's body in an opened condition. Numerous stents have been described such as those in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,197,977, 5,282,847, 5,380,299, 5,383,927, 5,464,450, 5,500,013, 5,607,464, 5,624,411, 5,653,745, 5,769,8835, and 5,776,184, incorporated herein by reference. However, these stents lack bioactive or penetrating agents to assist in vessel or tissue healing or deposit digestion, and/or mechanisms for the protection of bioactive or penetrating agents during stent deployment and positioning.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved stent having bioactive or penetrating agents deposited thereon in such a way as to protect the agents during deployment and placement and capable of bringing the agents into close proximity or direct contact with a vessel's and/or tissue interior after deployment and expansion.